Server Session Management Application Program Interface and Schema

1. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium for implementing a method of managing a plurality of sessions within a server system comprising a plurality of servers, the method comprising: receiving a request to create a session from a server within a server system comprising a plurality of servers, each server comprising a session manager and a persistent session manager operatively coupled to the session manager, wherein the session manager creates a session within the server using the persistent session manager; creating the session and a corresponding session identification in a database within the server system in response to the request, the plurality of servers operatively coupled to the database; returning the session identification from the database to the requesting server; persisting each of a plurality of sessions among the servers in the server system within the database in response to receiving a request from the persistent session manager of the server corresponding to the session, wherein the persistent session manager of the corresponding server persists the sessions of the server within the database; associating each of the plurality of persisted sessions with a session identification unique among the plurality of sessions across the plurality of servers, wherein each session identification comprises the session identification created with each session; and asynchronously managing at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions within any one or more of the plurality of servers according to the unique session identification, wherein each session manager in each of the plurality of servers is capable of independently managing the at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions persisted within the database via the persistent session manager.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein creating a session within a server system comprises creating a session between a client and a server within the server system.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein creating a session within a server system comprises creating a session relating to an active server within the server system.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein creating a session comprises: selecting a free row within a session table maintained by the database, wherein each row within the session table is arranged to relate to a persisted session and wherein a free row comprises a row having a unique session identification without an associated persisted session; and inserting a new row within the session table if a free row is unavailable.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein persisting each of the plurality of sessions comprises maintaining a plurality of rows within a session table maintained by the database, wherein each row within the session table is arranged to relate to a persisted session.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein associating each of the plurality of persisted sessions with a session identification unique among the plurality of sessions comprises: assigning a session identification associated with a free row within a session table maintained by the database, wherein each row within the session table is arranged to relate to a persisted session and wherein a free row comprises a row having a unique session identification without an associated persisted session; and creating a new session identification if a free row is unavailable.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein managing at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions comprises: receiving a request to update session data relating to at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions based upon a unique session identification, wherein the session data is maintained in a row within a session table maintained by the database and wherein each row within the session table is arranged to relate to a persisted session; and updating the session data within the row related to the session as identified by the unique session identification.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein managing at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions comprises: receiving a query request for session data relating to at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions; and providing the requested session data from a session table maintained by the database, wherein each row within the session table is arranged to relate to a persisted session.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein managing at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions comprises: receiving a request to release the session; removing session data maintained in a row within a session table maintained by the database, wherein each row within the session table is arranged to relate to a persisted session; and maintaining the unique session identification within the row following the release of the session.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein receiving a request to release the session comprises receiving a request to release a session relating to an active server within the server system and wherein managing at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions further comprises releasing each session between a client and the released server.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein managing at least one of the plurality of persisted sessions comprises: monitoring the status of each of a plurality of client sessions between a client and a server within the server system, wherein each client provides an indication of session activity and wherein the server releases the client session and the server provides a request to release the client session if the client does not provide an indication of session activity; and monitoring the status of each of a plurality of server sessions each relating to an active server within the server system, wherein each active server provides a request to update its server session data, wherein each active server provides a query request for session data relating to one of the plurality of a server sessions and wherein a server provides a request to release the server session if an associated active server does not provide a request to update its server session data.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein the database maintains a session table comprising a plurality of rows wherein each row is arranged to relate to a persisted session and wherein each row comprises a unique session identification and at least one of the group consisting of: a server identification, login data, update data and session status.

13. A method of communicating between a requesting process and a serving process comprising: processing a first call from a server for creating a client session between a client and the server, wherein the server comprises one of a plurality of servers within a server system, each server comprising a session manager and a persistent session manager operatively coupled to the session manager, wherein the session manager creates a session within the server using the persistent session manager; creating the client session in a database within the server system in response to the first call from the persistent session manager of the server corresponding to the session, wherein the persistent session manager of the corresponding server persists the sessions of the server within the database, and wherein the database is operatively coupled to the plurality of servers; associating the client session with a unique client session identification unique among a plurality of client sessions across the plurality of servers, wherein each client session identification comprises the client session identification created with each client session; returning the client session identification from the database to the server; persisting the client session within the database; and processing a second call for asynchronously managing the client session, within any one or more of the plurality of servers, according to the unique client session identification, wherein each session manager in each of the plurality of servers is capable of independently managing the persisted client session persisted within the database via the persistent session manager.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein processing a first call for creating a client session between a client and a server comprises: issuing, by the requesting process, a CreateUserSessions call to create the client session between the client and the server; receiving, by the serving process, the CreateUserSessions call; and issuing, by the serving process to the requesting process, a response including the unique client session identification corresponding to the client session.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein processing a second call for managing the client session comprises: issuing, by the requesting process, a CPersistentSessionManager class call relating to the client session identified by the unique client session identification; receiving, by the serving process, the CPersistentSessionManager class call; and issuing, by the serving process to the requesting process, a response including one or more of the group consisting of: client session data stored in the database, an update of the client session data and a release of the client session.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising: processing a third call for creating a server session relating to an active server within the server system; persisting the server session within a database operatively coupled to the plurality of servers; associating the server session with a unique server session identification unique among a plurality of server sessions; and processing a fourth call for managing the server session according to the unique server session identification.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein processing a third call for creating a server session relating to an active server within the server system comprises: issuing, by the requesting process, a CreateServerSessions call to create the server session for an active server; receiving, by the serving process, the CreateServerSessions call; and issuing, by the serving process to the requesting process, a response including the unique server session identification corresponding to the server session.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein processing a fourth call for managing the server session according to the unique server session identification comprises: issuing, by the requesting process, a CPersistentServerSessionManager class call relating to a server session identified by the unique server session identification; receiving, by the serving process, the CPersistentServerSessionManager class call; and issuing, by the serving process to the requesting process, a response including one or more of the group consisting of: server session data stored in the database, an update of the server session data and a release of the server session.

19. A computer adapted for participation in a server system comprising a plurality of servers, the computer comprising: a network communication device for exchanging data via a network; a memory storing machine-readable instructions; and a processor for executing the machine-readable instructions for performing a method comprising: processing a call from a server for creating a session, each server comprising a session manager and a persistent session manager operatively coupled to the session manager, wherein the session manager creates a session within the server using the persistent session manager, wherein the session relates to one of the group consisting of: a client session between a client and a server, and a server session relating to an active server within the server system; creating the session in a database within the server system in response to the call, wherein the database is operatively coupled to the plurality of servers; persisting the session within the database in response to receiving a request from the persistent session manager of the server corresponding to the session, wherein the persistent session manager of the corresponding server persists the sessions of the server within the database; associating the session with a unique session identification unique among a plurality of sessions across the plurality of servers, wherein each session identification comprises the session identification created with each session; and returning the session identification from the database to the server; and processing a call for asynchronously managing the session, within any one or more of the plurality of servers according to the unique session identification, wherein each session manager in each of the plurality of servers is capable of independently managing the session persisted within the database via the persistent session manager.